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Our work with partners

Find out how we are working with other organisations.

Adult social services and NHS complaints procedure reform

CSCI's complaints team works closely with other stakeholders and professionals who deal with complaints and representations in health and social care.

We are involved with a Department of Health project about ensuring a consistent approach to complaints in response to the white paper Our health, our care, our say.

The paper outlines the merging of various procedures to ensure better outcomes for people who use services and complainants. It is scheduled for implementation in 2009.

Local councils

Performance assessment

We are working with councils to shape indicators for the future performance assessment of adult social services. We will make sure that the indicators are based on outcome-focused drivers and that councils learn from complaints to improve services.

Complaints procedures

We have no powers to investigate complaints made about councils. But we do have to make sure their adult social services complaints procedures meet the requirements of the new statutory regulations and policy guidance issued in September 2006.

  • Read Learning from complaints, the Department of Health policy guidance for councils
  • For information about children's social services, now inspected by Ofsted, read Getting the best from complaints, the Department for Education and Skills regulations and policy guidance, which applies to local council children and young people’s services

Other organisations

We work in close partnership with other bodies and agencies concerning complaints and service improvement matters. This includes:

  • the Department of Heath and the Department for Education and Skills on strategic policy developments
  • the Healthcare Commission and Ofsted on transitional issues
  • the Association of Directors of Social Services, National Complaints Officers Group, Cross Government Complaint Handlers Network, and the respective Ombudsman, in developing best practice.

Utilities

Inspection reports

Star ratings